Thursday, August 10, 2017

About the book:

After tirelessly climbing the ranks of her Chicago-based interior design firm, Lane Kelley is about to land her dream promotion when devastating news about her brother draws her back home--a quaint tourist town full of memories she'd just as soon forget. With her cell phone and laptop always within reach, Lane aims to check on her brother while staying focused on work--something her eclectic family doesn't understand.
Ryan Brooks never expected to settle down in Harbor Pointe, Michigan, but after his final tour of duty, it was the only place that felt like home. Now knee-deep in a renovation project that could boost tourism for the struggling town, he is thrilled to see Lane, the girl he secretly once loved, even if the circumstances of her homecoming aren't ideal.
Their reunion gets off to a rocky start, however, when Ryan can't find a trace of the girl he once knew in the woman she is today. As he slowly chips away at the walls Lane has built, secrets from his past collide with a terrible truth even he is reluctant to believe. Facing a crossroads that could define his future with Lane and jeopardize his relationship with the surrogate family he's found in the Kelleys, Ryan hopes Lane can see that maybe what really matters has been right in front of her all along--if only she'd just look up.

My Thoughts -

I remember reading Ms. Walsh's Sweethaven series and I absolutely adored her story-telling. When I saw she had a new book releasing I knew I'd have to read it and I really enjoyed it.

Have you ever stopped to think about what a leash our smartphones are to us? We watch our kids, or the teenagers and can't believe how tied they are to their phone. God forbid they put it down for more than a minute and walk away. Teenagers aren't the only ones who are held captive to their phones. We are too, which is pretty scary when you think about how much time we spend staring at it.

In Ms. Walsh's new book, Just Look Up, she shows the struggle of a woman in the corporate world who doesn't realize how her phone is dictating her life, until she actually goes home and through a series of events sees how attached she is to her phone. Throughout the story both Lane and Ryan have past hurts they need to deal with, and forgive those who have hurt them, even forgive themselves. Watching them go through this journey was both eye opening and encouraging.

The title, Just Look Up, really made me stop and think about how much time I spend looking down, whether it's at my phone or even reading a book and what am I missing. I have decided to put my phone down and pay attention to those around me. I have grandchildren visiting and I have even turned my phone off so I can focus on them.

I highly recommend this book, and give it a 5 star rating. Image below is my five star rating quote image.